SCHOLARSHIPS |
There are three fountains of funds when it comes to scholarships:
Scholarships reward students for being brilliant at sport, music, public speaking, writing – virtually anything you can think of. Even academic work.
When Push says ‘brilliant’, in fact you only need to be better than – or even only as good as – anyone else who applies. Indeed it may well not even be an open competition, in which case the word ‘competition’ would be something of an overstatement.
Like special bursaries, apart from being good at something, you’ll normally have to fulfil various random criteria. You may need to be under 18 on the third Sunday in August, the orphaned second daughter of a doctor or an ex-student of a certain school in Bognor and the proud owner of a pet rabbit called ‘Chuckles’.
Some scholarships aren’t fussy about how you spend the money and some are just for tuition costs. But others can get very particular about what they will and won’t fund. For example, they may be for travel costs only or to study abroad, to fund some research, even to buy a musical instrument or sports kit. There are even scholarships that only cough up in book tokens (what do they think this is? Blue Peter?).
As you’ll have probably already realised, a lot of the nuts and bolts of bursaries can be screwed equally on to scholarships and, if they can’t, you can be pretty sure that the sponsorships toolkit will work.
Check out www.thescholarshiphub.org.uk
Scholarships reward students for being brilliant at sport, music, public speaking, writing – virtually anything you can think of. Even academic work.
When Push says ‘brilliant’, in fact you only need to be better than – or even only as good as – anyone else who applies. Indeed it may well not even be an open competition, in which case the word ‘competition’ would be something of an overstatement.
Like special bursaries, apart from being good at something, you’ll normally have to fulfil various random criteria. You may need to be under 18 on the third Sunday in August, the orphaned second daughter of a doctor or an ex-student of a certain school in Bognor and the proud owner of a pet rabbit called ‘Chuckles’.
Some scholarships aren’t fussy about how you spend the money and some are just for tuition costs. But others can get very particular about what they will and won’t fund. For example, they may be for travel costs only or to study abroad, to fund some research, even to buy a musical instrument or sports kit. There are even scholarships that only cough up in book tokens (what do they think this is? Blue Peter?).
As you’ll have probably already realised, a lot of the nuts and bolts of bursaries can be screwed equally on to scholarships and, if they can’t, you can be pretty sure that the sponsorships toolkit will work.
Check out www.thescholarshiphub.org.uk
insitutional aid
Institutional aid comes in the shape of a gift to a student direct from the university or college’s own funds, usually to promote some special facet of university life and/or study.
Your first point of reference should be the university prospectus, which may give you an idea of some of the awards on offer (or at least a contact name and address), but also keep an eye on department noticeboards once you’ve started studying.
Your first point of reference should be the university prospectus, which may give you an idea of some of the awards on offer (or at least a contact name and address), but also keep an eye on department noticeboards once you’ve started studying.
Private financial aid
Sometimes, when they’re more fussed about getting good publicity than doing direct recruitment, companies opt to offer scholarships rather than sponsoring students.
These may or may not come with conditions about doing work for the company. Whether they do or not, a lot of the same advice about sponsorship applies.
These may or may not come with conditions about doing work for the company. Whether they do or not, a lot of the same advice about sponsorship applies.
philanthropic aid
Sometimes individuals, charities or trusts decree that students should benefit from a scholarship. Far more important than decreeing anything, they also stump up the lolly.
The reasons why are their own. Sometimes it’s the parents of a former student who died that they want to commemorate. Sometimes it’s an ex-student who’s gone on to make their fortune and wants to help others (or just gloat). Sometimes it’s a tax dodge.
Whatever the reasons, who cares? So long as they show you the money.
Most have an application deadline, but may still keep you waiting for months before responding. Before applying to any charity, it’s worth making a few preliminary enquiries to find out what they’re looking for and if your odds of getting any dosh are any better than a well-fattened cow’s chance in a steakhouse.
The reasons why are their own. Sometimes it’s the parents of a former student who died that they want to commemorate. Sometimes it’s an ex-student who’s gone on to make their fortune and wants to help others (or just gloat). Sometimes it’s a tax dodge.
Whatever the reasons, who cares? So long as they show you the money.
Most have an application deadline, but may still keep you waiting for months before responding. Before applying to any charity, it’s worth making a few preliminary enquiries to find out what they’re looking for and if your odds of getting any dosh are any better than a well-fattened cow’s chance in a steakhouse.